The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-12-08
Washington Letter.
WAsH1KGroN, d. C.. Dec. 8. ISIS

number of aspiring gentlemen who
are ambitious 10 serve their country as
of the House of Repre-
1t is the opinion of many
that the Hon. Sunset'' Cox is to be
both temporary and permanent chair
man of the Democratic Caucus Since
l last wrote yau, the situation has
for Doorkeeper having withdrawn ex.
cept two, Donaldson and Hunt, a con-
testant for the clerkship having APP
peared in the person of w. q. Raines,
of Rochester, N. Y, and it is said that
he is supported by powerful influences
On the other hand. the friends of the
present Clerk, Gen. Jno. B. Clark, of
Missouri. confidently claim his re-
election.
Greater interest is felt in political
circles in Washington as to what may
transpire at the other end of the Cap.
itol next Monday, as the seats of two
of the twenty six Senators who will
present themselves to be sworn in on
that day, are to be econtested-one each
from California and West Virginia, to
say nothing of protest" from Indi>
ana-the situation being complicated
by the fact that of fifty Senators hold
ing over, twenty-five are Democrats
and twenty Ave are Republicans--Rid
dleberger included. Thus the Senator
from Virginia holds the balance of
power. / am Informed that it is the
policy of the Democrats to forestall the
contests by urging the seating of all
the new Senators at once in body,
and in case the Republicans refuse as
sent to the proposition, TO produce a
legislative deadlock. The admission
of the Senators from California and
West Vtrginia involves the right of
the State legislature to choose U. s.
Senator at an extra session thus the
decision in these cases will be useful
as precedent to settle future contests
of this character.
There is every indication that the
Senate will wage Q vigorous war
against the President this winter-the
provocation being Mr.. Cleyeland's APP
pointment of the American Fisheries
Commissioners, who rank diplomatic
ally as special ENJOYS, without the
advice and consent of the Senate"
The question of prerogative thus
raised is quite an old one, dating back
early in the history of the Government
and it affords political demagogues a
ready subject for interminable contro-
vsrsy.
The International Fisheries Com
mission is now in secret session at the
State Department. and consequently
the deliberations of this dignified body
are not known TO the public.
The argument in the Standard Oil
determination cases, much to the sur
prise of nearly everybody, has been
postponed by the Interstate Commits.
sion till January 18th. From all that
your correspondent can learn Of the
evidence, it seems that q rather strong
Jumbo of monopolies, if Jay Gould's
telegraph lines be excepted.
Chief Justice Waite, of the Supreme
Court, celebrated his seventy-first
birthday this week, but be daes not
look day over sixty years. One year
ago the venerable jurist was eligible
to retirement, and he could then have
resigned his commission and demand.
ed salary of $4,000 per annum for
the remainder Of his life. The same
may be said of Associate Justices
Field, Miller, and Bradley. Perhaps
in no other country of the world can
be witnessed four septuagsnarians Wig
orously working every day, when they
could receive precisely the same COM
pehsatien for doing nothing whatever.
According to the annual report of
the First Assistant Postmaster General
the lumber of postoffi ces in the United
States on June 80, 1887, WAS SO l57 il
further shows the still more gratifying
fact that over %. 900 Democrats have
been appointed pOstmasters during the
past two years.
1t is surprising to think of the vast
amount of money lost in tran emission
through the mails. The report of the
dead letter Office shows that the sum
of $29,6S was found in letters, of
which amount SD 639 was returned TO
the senders. There was deposited in
the Treasury $6,672, taken from dead
letters that could Eot be restored to
the owners, and also 1921 the pro.
ceeds of auction sales of packages of
merchandise which could not be re-
stored.